Help identifying coupe

[ColinB]

If I'm successful this will indeed be my third Phillip as I think you are aware! I am dangerously keen on it and my wife is very supportive...

[Phillip]

LOL! Yep...that's what happens when you become a Singerholic! They multiply!

And a supportive wife? Priceless!

[ColinB]

The auction house have just advised me that the engine is seized. Not a major problem for me but it should reduce the number of competitors.

[mikeC]

According to the DVLA website the car has not been taxed since 1994, so it may not be just the engine that's seized!

[ColinB]

Thanks for that information Mike which is really helpful. It certainly increases the risk attached to buying it and also what I might be prepared to pay. I will still go to view it on Sunday but with some level of scepticism.

I contacted the lady selling 'Radish' who was not, after all, the previous seller of the coupe but is I think related to Robin's widow. She has offered to find out what she can about the car such as when it last ran, which will be extremely useful.

[Danish]

Seem to recollect reading that the Gibsons owned a coupe registered ELA*** in the 70s.

[ColinB]

I have received some useful information on value from the SOC/ASCO Bantam Registrar. He has also warned me about the potential impact on the bearings of starting the car after a long layoff due to the non-self-priming oil pump. If this happened when the new owner bought the car in 2014 it could mean an engine re-build.

Can anyone give me further advice on what to look for in terms of weak spots in the engine?

[Danish]

SOC magazine September/ October 1975.

[ColinB]

Thanks David, it is indeed a very attractive car.

[Phillip]

Hey Colin,

Regarding the 972cc Nine engine. You could write a book on this - oh - wait - Ian Blackburn pretty much did! lol! The Nine Workshop is a valuable reference written very much by "The Man in the Know."

This is a simple two bearing engine on the surface, but the devil is in the details...as well as probably having to deal with 70+ years of bodges and abuse.

These engines are 'crackers' and 'leakers' in my experience, but, most importantly, look out for cracks in the block and head. The most obvious on the outside is usually near the top of the block face. The castings are thin and brittle and don't take well to welding. Metalock stitching is the best form of repair. Over-tightening the head studs can crack the block face also.

Internal cracks can occur as well. The head is prone to cracks under the camshaft supports. and around the valve seats. Block and head watersways are surprisingly small and clog up badly over time. I've rodded out a few and the amount of crud was remarkable. The core plugs are thin tin and rot also. There is an alloy core plug screwed into the front of the block and this rots out as well. Replace with brass or steel.

Blocks can be bored, but +40 is the safer limit. Singer never recommended +60, although I've seen engine bored out that far and running OK. Sleeving to standard is possible, but the thin castings mean you need to take care and stepped top hat liners are the best bet.

The standard 'bent wire' crank has no balance weights and, since there is no oil filter, it clogs up over time, especially in the corners of each crank throw and in the oil tubes. Improper grinding can lead to the cranks breaking. It's very important to retain a radius on the journals.

Flywheels can also come loose. There is no locating flange on the end of the crank, so this is made worse when the mains are ground and the flywheel is not 'sleeved' to compensate so it is not a good fit on the end of the crank.

Main and rod bearing are white metalled and the main need to be line-bored in position. Big ends have side thrusts and need to be cast properly - radius is important as mentioned above for crank.

The '33 to '35 blocks are basically an empty box with copper pipework everywhere for oil distribution. The '36 / 37 'Bantam' block has integral oilways and less pipework. '33 to '35 heads have an alloy water outlet on the side and 'Bantam' heads have a cast-in piece near the front on one side. The benefit of the later head is that they are all 'semi-hemi's', which were only used on the Speed models with earlier engines. Earlier standard engines had smaller 'bathtub' combustion chambers. You can convert a standard Bantam head to Speed spec by doing some work on it, if required.

Valves tend to stick on these engines and valve timing is a bit of an exercise, but there are useful instructions out there now to help get it right. Singer played that card close to their chests possibly to encourage people to take the cars to the dealers for service...or at least that is one theory.

This is a bit a of a 'stream of consciousness' post, but I hope it helps. If John Horne, The Jedi Master of Pre-Warriors is on-line, I am sure he will add his wisdom!

Hope you score the Coupe. The issues should put some people off and keep the price down. This is a very pretty car.

[ColinB]

That is really useful Phillip thanks. I'm gong up to see her tomorrow so I will print off your post and make a point of looking for external cracks. I will also want to see if there is oil and water in the engine as the lack of either would concern me.

[ColinB]

The car is really pretty in the metal and I am quite smitten! No info was forthcoming on the engine but the bodywork was very good as are the wheels. No pressure on the brake pedal so clearly the brakes will need to be recommissioned, and I think the sump and radiator were dry. The auctioneer/owner of the sale room recommend replacing the engine with a Morris Minor unit, not that I would ever dream of doing that, and despite the engine issue he thought it would make its upper estimate. I have a week to think about it as they require phone bid requests to be lodged by the Friday before the auction.

[mikeC]

... The auctioneer/owner of the sale room recommend replacing the engine with a Morris Minor unit, not that I would ever dream of doing that, and despite the engine issue he thought it would make its upper estimate...

I suppose it's his job to talk up the price, but with those mechanical issues I would be surprised to see it reach its lower estimate - but then what do I know! Put your bid in, and you may be pleasantly surprised!

[ColinB]

I agree Mike - I have decided on a maximum bid and I will lodge that with the auction house rather than making bids on the day with all the incumbent risks of getting carried away.

[Phillip]

I wish you the very best of luck Colin and hope you are the lucky new owner. She deserves a good home!